At Bowling Green State University, we require health insurance coverage for our students.  Both international and domestic students have been required to maintain sufficient health insurance coverage as a means of protecting themselves.  In the recent past, however, it has been our experience that international students who purchase health insurance coverage through outside carriers often found themselves under-insured when they needed the coverage the most.  Health care in the United States is very expensive and we have seen firsthand how devastating the lack of insurance can be.  With a single doctor’s office visit costing $50 to $150 and emergency department visits running in the hundreds and thousands of dollars, it does not take long before an illness or injury causes serious financial hardships for an uninsured or under-insured individual.

Beyond emergency care, referral to community medical providers for more severe and acute problems has become increasingly difficult without adequate health insurance.  Underinsured students are less likely to obtain preventive care, and more likely to miss classes due to untreated illness.  The results can include the need to drop out of school and great difficulty in obtaining necessary medical care.  We want to make it as easy and affordable as possible for students to seek and find the care they need in order to keep them in school so that they may be successful. 

International students who are covered under government sponsors, certain international organizations, or as dependents of US-based employees, may qualify to waive out of the required Aetna Student Health Insurance plan.  Students who meet these criteria must complete the International Student Health Insurance Waiver form by the published deadlines.  

We have tailored the Aetna Student Health Insurance plan to offer the best coverage for our students at a fair price.  For more information of the plan details, or to answer any questions that you may have on this requirement, please contact the Student Insurance Office at 419-372-7695 or studentins@bgsu.edu. 

Thank you and best wishes for the upcoming academic year.

Student Insurance Office
Room 116 Health Center Building 
Bowling Green, OH 43403-0147
Phone: 419-372-7495
Fax: 419-372-4812 
studentins@bgsu.edu